Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popayan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popayan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $805 in Popayan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,223 in Popayan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,640 in Popayan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than Popayan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Popayan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.98 COP 14.2K

18.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$24.01 COP 85.7K

88.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.18 COP 25.6K

17.41%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.51 COP 5,406

94.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.86 COP 3,073

-19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.58 COP 2,069

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.15 COP 4,101

109.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.12 COP 7,573

75.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.05 COP 3,757

112.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.25 COP 4,447

46.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.18 COP 4,199

83.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.21 COP 7,887

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.54 COP 16.2K

334.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.18 COP 18.5K

-29.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.14 COP 25.5K

89.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.43 COP 8,678

34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.07 COP 3,818

50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.36 COP 4,843

77.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.85 COP 3,022

144.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.11 COP 3,980

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.12 COP 4,009

32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.88 COP 3,149

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.64 COP 2,279

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.31 COP 8,264

90.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.38 COP 37.1K

86.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.13 COP 4,046

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.80 COP 6,437

50.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.69 COP 2,461

98.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$29.66 COP 105.9K

-61.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.46 COP 5,214

106.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.71 COP 6,104

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.15 COP 21.9K

129.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.99 COP 3,543

37.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$17.9K COP 63.9M

57.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.5K COP 91.2M

28.81%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿3,975

$83.5 COP 298.2K

45.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 ฿443

$8.86 COP 31.6K

53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$22.84 COP 81.6K

-19.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$23.53 COP 84.0K

155.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.93 COP 14.0K

121.12%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$693 ฿22.6K

$241 COP 861.1K

187.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,042 COP 21.6M

159.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$58.4 COP 208.4K

2.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$32.94 COP 117.6K

5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$82.9 COP 296.0K

38.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$72.8 COP 259.8K

14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$284 COP 1.0M

116.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$242 COP 863.9K

80.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$525 COP 1.9M

298.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$423 COP 1.5M

256.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,434 COP 5.1M

161.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,260 COP 4.5M

107.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.18

-59.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Popayan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $284 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $172 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,207 in Popayan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $284 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $241 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $805 in Popayan versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Popayan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Popayan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Popayan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Popayan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.